Transition From Lower Secondary to High Schools in Mathematics Education

Short Description of Research Topic

Recently, there has been a growing attention to issues in learning and teaching mathematics during students’ transition between different levels’ education. The transition brings changes of students’ learning experience both physically and psychologically. This influences their interests and motivation in learning mathematics that meanwhile calls for more responsibilities that teachers and schools should take to help students overcome challenges of transition. This project will address problems of teaching and learning mathematics in transition from lower secondary to high schools and seeks for solutions of problems.

Suggested Problem Formulation

What are the challenges the students meet in mathematics education during the transition between lower secondary schools and high schools?

How do teachers perceive students’ challenges? And what can be done better?

How can digital technologies, for example, playful games or stimulation, help students to manage those challenges?

Methodological considerations

This project proposal welcomes both qualitative and quantitative studies. In qualitative study, case study and interviews are encouraged. In quantitative study, large-scale investigation and statistics are encouraged. Mixed-method research design is also encouraged that builds up dialog between qualitative and quantitative studies.

Supervisor

Chunfang Zhou